


Not an Ordinary Pokemon

by Wardove



Series: Tales from the Dungeon Lands [2]
Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Gen, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:28:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22781014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wardove/pseuds/Wardove
Summary: Alakazam barely even noticed them at first, getting several steps past the duo when he registered the eyes.  Bright, burning admiration in the eyes of the Torchic - the look of someone who dreamed of following in Alakazam’s footsteps.  That wasn’t unusual, but the Chikorita with him?  Hazel eyes, instead of the familiar red - a simple curiosity perhaps, except for the look behind them.  Something different, curious and observant and just a little lost.
Series: Tales from the Dungeon Lands [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1637752
Kudos: 10





	Not an Ordinary Pokemon

**Author's Note:**

> I just really love writing outsider povs y'all, can you tell yet?

The first time Alakazam met the younglings at the heart of Team Dream, it was a passing curiosity. He had more on his mind after all - thoughts of how to smooth things out with Shiftry in the future after the lecture he’d just dished out in the middle of the square, his team’s planned outings and supply lists they’d need to bring, countless other tangents spinning out and trains of thought running parallel to each other - even with a mind like his, it was a lot to keep track of. 

He barely even noticed them at first, getting several steps past the duo when he registered the eyes. Bright, burning admiration in the eyes of the Torchic - the look of someone who dreamed of following in Alakazam’s footsteps. That wasn’t unusual, but the Chikorita with him? Hazel eyes, instead of the familiar red - a simple curiosity perhaps, except for the look behind them. Something different, curious and observant and just a little lost. 

He turned to look the pair over again, noting how the admiring little Torchic yelped and hid, while the Chikorita met his gaze, her chin tilting up as she shifted to allow her hiding companion more cover with what was clearly barely a thought. A young rescue team, just starting out by the shininess of their badges, but already with a strong sense of each other, watching each other's backs even outside of a dungeon. 

He brushed off his own team’s questions and turned away, setting forth once more for the post office. He would commit their faces to memory, and look forward to seeing how far they went. Perhaps in the process he’d figure out what had caught his attention about the grass-type’s gaze. But for now, he set it to the back of his mind - they had a long rescue mission to plan for after all.

*

The second time he met them, they were discussing an encounter with Zapados, of all beings. An embodiment of lighting, a full-on legendary Pokemon. When Shiftry failed to return, the two younglings went after him and came face-to-face with the Bird of Lightning, awoken and angry. Plans began to spin about in his head as he calculated the risks - Tyranitar and Charizard were strong, as was Alakazam himself, but this was a Legendary, and the battle would undoubtedly be terrible.

“We’ll go too! We’ll help Shiftry!” 

It was at that moment that Alakazam changed his opinion of Team Dream. They weren’t young and hopeful - they were fools. The badges on their scarves marked them as a Bronze-Rank rescue team - too young, small, and inexperienced to be taking such risks. When he pointed that out however, they stood firm. They were a rescue team too. He met both their gazes, held them - most would look away, but not those two. The Torchic Torri, and the Chikorita Nara… Foolish or brave, he could see there would be no stopping them. All he could do was warn them about the danger they were about to walk into. And hope they survived.

*

The third time they crossed paths, he was forced yet again to reconsider his opinions. He’d hoped his own Team ATC would make it to the top of the mountain to face the legendary before Team Dream could make it, but as his trio crested the mountaintop, there they were. Torri and Nara and a Magnemite who hovered with them, the three battered and injured but still standing as tall as their little bodies would allow as they surrounded the grounded embodiment of lightning.

Zapados’s wings were flared wide as it towered over the little trio, but its body shook with strain and exhaustion even as it glared down the strange little Chikorita that held her ground. Alakazam motioned to his own team and they rushed forward as Zapados wreathed itself in lightning, taking to the air once more with a mighty cry. Tyranitar flanked the Magnemite while Alakazam stood by the Torchic and Charizard placed himself front and center, flaring his own wings in threat as he shielded Nara. 

But Zapados was calm. It eyed the little members of Team Dream that had somehow, incredibly managed to ground it, warning them against future encounters. A vicious crack of lightning and the legendary was gone, leaving behind the crumpled form of Shiftry - amazingly, still alive. 

He watched as the Torchic rushed to Shiftry’s side, jumping and flapping in delight. But Alakazam’s eyes were on Nara who now hung back watching her partner with gentle, protective fondness. That glint was in her eyes again, the one that caught his attention back in the square the first time. His mind whirled as he created and discarded theories, and his team stepped forward, drawing attention to themselves as they let him think. But it was Charizard’s off-hand comment that allowed the pieces to fall together. No ordinary Chikorita indeed. No, definitely not. 

_“You’re not a Pokemon at all, are you?”_

Shock, from everyone present. Obvious, expected. Even Nara was startled, but then the expression melted into a complicated myriad, confusion and fear, then perhaps relief and maybe even wry amusement. She looked to her partner quietly, allowing him to explain her truth. 

A human. A creature not seen in their lands for as long as memory could serve, known only in legends and tales. With no memory of her own self, or how she became a Pokemon, or even how she got to their land. Torri’s eyes were alight with hope as he asked if Alakazam knew how it could have happened. Every tale he’d ever heard involving humans danced through Alakazam’s head as he observed the gathered Pokemon. There were many, true, but he could think of only one that involved a transformation. A dark tale indeed.

And he looked over the former human, who had no memory that could confirm or deny his suspicions. What he’d seen of her already though… Someone that had placed herself thoughtlessly in front of her partner when he’d wanted to hide, and stood tall beside him when they faced a Pokemon that could have all-too-easily killed them both. Someone that had accepted this mission simply because Shiftry - a complete stranger - had needed help. Not the kind of human the tale told of at all. 

So he shook his head, and denied knowledge. Tales were tales after all, and it was possible it was only a coincidence. He instead pointed them to Xatu. The old bird was strange, for sure, but his precognitive knowledge of both the past and future would be more help than his vast mental library of old truths and anecdotes. 

As he watched the trio of Team Dream helping to support Shiftry as he limped away, Charizard spoke up from behind, calling him out on his little lie. His team knew him well, after all. But if his suspicion was correct, it wouldn’t be fair to burden the bright little amnesiac with the tale of Ninetales. Xatu would sort them out, he hoped.

*

Days went by, and suddenly the tale of Ninetales was all anyone could talk about in Pokemon Square. He knew better than to hope it was a coincidence, and so he could only observe as the town was riled up, the words of the Gengar in the middle of the square driving them to the edge of a riot.

And then Nara and Torri were there, on the edge of the crowd. Alakazam could see the growing horror and fear on Torri’s face as Gengar continued to speak even from the distance he was at. Just as he could see Nara crumbling, curling in on herself as though each word were an attack, her steady confidence of the past nowhere to be seen. She said nothing when Gengar singled her out, made no defense when Torri tried to speak, barely moved enough to dodge Lombre’s panicked swipe. She stumbled as Torri shoved into her, urging her to flee, and Alakazam knew how the day was going to end from there. 

He wasn’t sure what Xatu had told them up on the Hill, but this time his opinion of them remained the same. Unless she admittedly fully and openly that she truly had been the human of the Ninetales legend, Alakazam would believe. 

The townspeople gathered, and a meeting was held. Gengar lingered at the edge, smirking as the emotions he’d incited carried the town away. No-one paid any attention to the little Caterpie and Metapod who were huddled and crying under a tree, or the pair of Jumpluff that tried desperately to defend the team that had put themselves in so much danger to save others. No, Alakazam knew. This place was no longer safe - not for Nara, nor even for Torri, who would undoubtedly never stop defending her, and thus pull the town’s ire and fear upon himself. 

The safest thing would be to drive them away for both their sakes, and the sake of the town, and so Alakazam stepped forward and held his head high as he volunteered.

*

If he’d had any doubts before, facing Nara and Torri outside their home would have cleared them away. The former human stood steady now, sad acceptance in her eyes as the three gold-rank rescuers took fighting stances. He only saw regret when she looked over to her partner. Regret, he imagined, for putting him in danger simply by existing.

_“We will give you tonight. Pack your supplies and get out of here.”_

Give them a chance. 

_“Against all odds, you must run. Run, run… And survive.”_

Give them the opening they need.

_“You must run till you uncover the truth.”_

Give them the ability to prove that the little bronze-rank rescuer who faced a legendary pokemon for a stranger is not the cursed human of legend. 

_“There will be no mercy the next time we meet. Farewell.”_

Head held high, Alakazam turned away from the muffled sobs. They would find the truth. They would survive this.

**Author's Note:**

> I might make this a multi-chapter later on if I get the urge to write for this team again. 
> 
> Are y'all looking forward to Mystery Dungeon DX? I sure am! I don't have a Switch, but I watched somebody stream the demo and I cried and dug out my old copy of Blue Rescue Team and now here we are lol.


End file.
